Wednesday 22 June 2016 19:18, UK
The first round draw for the revamped Scottish Challenge Cup is due to take place on Thursday, with the new format set to introduce a host of changes to the competition.
Rangers won the Petrofac Training Cup last season after beating Peterhead 4-0 in the final at Hampden, but the tournament is now much different to the one Mark Warburton's side prevailed in.
For starters, it has a new sponsor - it is now called the Irn-Bru Cup - with the 32-team tournament expanded to 54 for the 2016/17 campaign. It will eventually feature two sides from each of the Welsh Premier League and the Northern Ireland Football League.
For the first time all 12 U-20 Premiership teams - essentially the top flight's reserve league - will also take part in the competition, alongside eight teams from the part-time Lowland and Highland leagues.
U-20 Premiership sides being seeded in the first round draw rules out a potential Old Firm youth fixture early on.
But who will enter the tournament and at what stage? We've got a rundown of what to expect from the new format of the competition.
Who will be in the pot for the opening round?
The opening round draw will consist of 28 teams and will be made up of 12 U-20 Premiership sides, eight sides from League Two and four clubs each from the Lowland and Highland leagues.
How does the opening round draw work?
The draw has been split into a North Section and a South Section, with two pools in each. The U-20 Premiership sides have been seeded which means Aberdeen U-20 cannot play Inverness U-20, for example, in the North, while Rangers U-20 cannot be drawn against Celtic U-20 in the South.
Teams in Pool A will be drawn to face teams in Pool B, while teams in Pool C will be drawn to face teams in Pool D.
Who are the Highland and Lowland clubs involved?
Highland: Cove Rangers, Formartine United, Brora Rangers, Turriff United are all in Pool B in the North Section.
Lowland: Edinburgh City, Spartans, University of Stirling, Cumbernauld Colts are all in Pool D in the South Section.
East Stirlingshire are a Lowland League team after being relegated following a play-off defeat to Edinburgh City at the end of last season but will compete in the Pool A of the North Section.
Who are the teams?
North Section
Pool A: Aberdeen U-20, Dundee U-20, Hearts U-20, Inverness Caledonian Thistle U-20, Ross County U-20, St Johnstone U-20, East Stirlingshire.
Pool B: Cove Rangers, Formartine United, Brora Rangers, Turriff United, Stirling Albion, Montrose, Arbroath.
South Section
Pool C: Celtic U-20, Hamilton U-20, Kilmarnock U-20, Motherwell U-20, Partick Thistle U-20, Rangers U-20, Berwick Rangers.
Pool D: Edinburgh City, Spartans, University of Stirling, Cumbernauld Colts, Clyde, Queen's Park, Annan Athletic.
Who will join from Northern Ireland and Wales and when?
The top two from the Welsh Premier League and Northern Ireland Football League will join the competition at the fourth round.
The New Saints and Bala Town will represent Wales in the tournament, while Crusaders and Linfield will join from Northern Ireland.
Who else will enter and when?
The final League Two teams and eight sides from League One will enter in the second round, while Championship teams and the two remaining League One outfits will join in for September's third round.
The New Saints, Bala Town, Crusaders and Linfield will then join at the fourth round stage.
Why the changes?
SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster thinks the new format will heighten excitement and interest levels in the tournament.
When the changes were announced, Doncaster said: "The introduction of Premiership U-20 teams will give young players a taste of competitive football at senior level, while extending the number of Highland and Lowland League clubs taking part further strengthens the pyramid system and their place within Scottish professional football."
What is the timeline for the competition?
The competition will kick off in August, with the final to take place in March. The majority of the fixtures will take place during international breaks.
First round matches - August 2,3
Second round matches - August
Third round matches - September
Fourth round matches - October
Quarter-finals - November
Semi-finals - February
Final - March
